Light emitting diodes (LEDs) or LED chips are solid state emitters that convert electrical energy into light. LED chips can be utilized in light emitter devices (e.g., packages or components) and systems for providing different colors and patterns of light useful in various lighting and optoelectronic applications. For example, light emitter devices can be used in various LED light bulb and light fixture applications and are developing as replacements for incandescent, fluorescent, and metal halide high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting applications.
Manufacturers of LED lighting products are constantly seeking ways to reduce their cost in order to provide a lower initial cost to customers, and encourage the adoption of LED products. Brighter, more efficient LED chips and/or devices can allow lighting manufacturers to use fewer LED chips to get the same brightness at a lower cost or increase brightness levels using the same LED chip count and power. Such improvements can enable delivery of improved LED devices for less total cost than other solutions. Conventional research efforts aimed at increasing lumen output and optical efficiency from LED chips are focused on device structures and/or materials, which can lead to devices that are more expensive and time-consuming to fabricate.
Accordingly, and despite the availability of various LED devices and components in the marketplace, a need remains for brighter and more efficient devices and methods that can be produced quickly and at a lower cost. Such devices can also make it easier for end-users to justify switching to LED products from a return on investment or payback perspective.